Malic Acid Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report, by Type, by Application : Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

Malic Acid Market Research - 2031

The global malic acid market was valued at $187.6 million in 2021, and is projected to reach $279.8 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2022 to 2031. The malic acid market expansion is significantly driven by the surge in demand for malic acid in the food and beverage industry, where it is widely used as a natural flavor enhancer and acidity regulator in various products, including candies, soft drinks, and fruit-flavored items. This increase in consumer preference for sour and tangy flavors has led manufacturers to incorporate malic acid into their formulations. 

Introduction 

Malic acid is an organic chemical compound found in bananas, cherries, apples, grapes, and vegetables. It is also called alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), found in fruits and some vegetables. It is primarily synthesized from malic anhydride through a hydration reaction. It crystallizes from aqueous solutions as white, translucent crystals which are anhydrous, non-hygroscopic (in normal conditions), and non-volatile, with a melting point of about 130°C. Its chelating power, lower melting point, and high solubility in water makes it an ideal component in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food & beverages industry.  

Report Key Highlighters: 

• The report depicts detailed insights on the malic acid market trends and new growth opportunities.

• The malic acid market is analyzed in value and volume. The value and volume data are studied in $ millions and tons. 

• The report identifies the malic acid market growth segments and emerging application areas.
  The report provides competitive dynamics by evaluating business segments, product portfolios, target market revenue, geographical presence and key strategic developments by prominent manufacturers.The report facilitates strategy planning and industry dynamics to enhance decision making for existing market players and new entrants entering malic acid production industry.

Market Dynamics 

Malic acid, known for its tart flavor profile, is widely used as a flavor enhancer and acidity regulator in various food products, including candies, soft drinks, fruit juices, and sauces. Consumers increasingly seek products that offer a balanced taste experience, and malic acid provides the necessary sourness that enhances flavor profiles, making it a popular choice among manufacturers. As health-conscious consumers favor natural and organic ingredients, malic acid, derived from fruits such as apples and grapes, aligns well with these preferences, further stimulating its demand in the market. All these factors are anticipated to drive the malic acid market growth during the forecast period.  

However, habitual use of malic acid may have side effects on human health such as irritation to the skin, dermal sensitizer, and irritation in the eyes. Furthermore, fluctuation in the prices of raw material of malic acid is expected to restrain the market. For instance, according to an article published by Down-to-earth in September 2019, biomass power plants procured fuelwood at a premium, this led to an overall price hike of 100%. In addition, these woods used to sell at an average of $12.8per ton five years ago now, the average price is $27.79 per ton, with juliflora being the most expensive. All these factors are expected to hamper market growth during the forecast period.  

The rapid increase in the population in both developed and developing economies, rise in import and export of various cosmetics and skincare products, up-gradation in technology, and increased focus on the cosmetic sector have increased the demand for malic acid where it is used as an antioxidant and preservative in the formulation of various skincare and personal care products. In addition, malic acid has a wide range of applications in the medical sector. For instance, according to data published by the National Library of Medicine, it states that supplementation of malic acid increases urinary citrate excretion and urinary pH, and it has effective implications for the potential treatment of calcium oxalate stone disease. All these factors are anticipated to offer remunerative opportunities for the malic acid market during the forecast period. 

Market Segmentation 

The malic acid market is segmented into type, application, and region. On the basis of type, the market is categorized into L-malic acid, D-malic acid, and LD-malic acid. On the basis of application, it is divided into food & beverages, personal care & cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and others. Region-wise, the market is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.                                                      

By type, LD-malic acid segment dominated the global market in 2021, and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period. Utilization of LD-malic acid has increased in the healthcare sector owing to the rise in population, a growing number of diseases, and government support and investment in the medical sector have enhanced the demand for LD-malic acid. It has antioxidant and antiseptic potteries due to which it is mainly used to make oral hygiene products. This factor is expected to drive the LD-malic acid market in the upcoming years. In addition, the growing industrial sector, well-established manufacturing units, and growing demand for metals from various end-use industries have surged the demand for LD-malic acid where it is used as a plating agent, and raw materials for metal plating, and acid cleaner. This is expected to foster the market growth in the upcoming years.  

In 2021, the food & beverages segment was the largest revenue generator, and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% during the forecast period. This is attributed to the fact that, the increase in the food processing activity has escalated the food packaging industry. For instance, according to a report published by the Ministry of Food Processing industry in August 2022, the contribution of the food processing sector has increased continuously with Gross Value Added (GVA) in the food processing sector from $161 billion in 2014-15 to Rs. 286 billion in 2020-21 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.97%. Malic acid acts as a flavoring agent, antioxidant, and acidulant that prevents food from getting spoiled. In addition, surge in demand for packaged food drives the growth of the malic acid market. In response to this, FDA has approved that malic acid is non-toxic for human consumption owing to which it is used as a food additive in the packaging of foods. These factors are expected to enhance the growth of the malic acid industry; thus, offering the most remunerative opportunities during the forecast period. 

The Asia-Pacific malic acid market size is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period and accounted for 46% of malic acid market share in 2021. The region is showcasing high potential growth for malic acid, owing to the increase in the pharmaceutical sector where malic acid has been used predominantly. It is mainly used antioxidant in the formulation of various drugs, vitamin A, protein powder, essential oil, and others. This may act as one of the key drivers responsible for the growth of malic acid in the region. In addition, the increase in demand for processed food has surged the growth of food & beverages in Malaysia and China where malic acid is used as a food additive, flavoring agent, and food preservative.

Competitive Landscape 

The global malic acid market profiles leading players that include Anhui Sealong Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Bartek Ingredients Inc., Changmao Biochemical Engineering Company Limited., FUSO CHEMICAL CO., LTD., ISEGEN South Africa (Pty) Ltd., POLYNT SPA, Prinova Group LLC., Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd., YONGSAN CHEMICALS, INC., and Zhonglan Industry Co., Ltd. The global malic acid market report provides in-depth competitive analysis as well as profiles of these major players.  

Latest Developments by Key Players:  

• In November 2022, Bartek Ingredient Inc., has launched innovative products named as EasyAcid Malic Solution and Pecmate Pectin Enhancer. These new products are bringing new innovations for beverages and gummy manufacturing industry.  EasyAcid Malic Solution offers excellent benefits such as, it is an economical alternative to dry malic acid delivering the same sour and pH management wherein Pecmate Pectin Enhancer prevents pre-gelling during the production and holds pH range. This strategic product innovation has strengthened Bartek’s product portfolio for malic acid in Europe region.
• In July 2020, Polynt SpA has expanded its maleic anhydride capacity in Morris, Illinois, site. It has built a 50,000 ton capacity greenfield maleic anhydride plant. The plant is expected to serve Polynt consumption for composites and other malic derivatives already produced in Europe and Asia. This strategic business expansion has spurred the Polynt’s product portfolio for malic acid.  
• In March 2020, Bartek Ingredients Inc., has expended its malic acid capacity to 10,000 metric tons as compared to p-previous years. It has completed a 4,000 MT malic acid expansion in 2019, and installed a new 22,500 MT maleic anhydride reactor, which will be operational by 2021. As a result of these expansions, Bartek will have in excess of 30,000 MT of malic acid capacity. This strategic business expansion led to the growth of the malic acid market size in the upcoming years. 

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the malic acid market analysis from 2021 to 2031 to identify the prevailing malic acid market opportunities.
• The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.
• Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.
• In-depth analysis of the malic acid market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.
• Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.
• Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.
• The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global malic acid market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

  Malic Acid Market Report Highlights

Aspects	Details
Market Size By 2031	USD 279.8 million
Growth Rate	CAGR of 4.1%
Forecast period	2021 - 2031
Report Pages	231
By Application	Food and Beverages Personal care and Cosmetics Pharmaceutical Others
By Type	L-Malic Acid D-Malic Acid LD-Malic Acid
By Region	North America  (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe  (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific  (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) LAMEA  (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Rest of LAMEA)
Key Market Players	FUSO CHEMICAL CO., LTD., isegen south africa (pty) ltd, Bartek Ingredients Inc., YONGSAN CHEMICALS, INC., Anhui Sealong Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Prinova Group LLC., Changmao Biochemical Engineering Company Limited, POLYNT SPA, Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd., Zhonglan Industry Co.,Ltd

Analyst Review

According to CXOs of leading companies, the global malic acid market is expected to exhibit high growth potential. Malic acid is organic chemicals and hold antioxidant, preservative, exfoliant, stabilizing properties owing to which it is widely used in various end-use industry including pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food & beverage, industrial, chemicals industry, and others. In addition, surge in consumer demand for confectionary foods such as candy, jellies, jam and other dairy products has spurred the malic acid market. Furthermore, it is extensively used in food processing industry as food additive and preservative, thus, which helps in increasing the shelf life of packaged food. Moreover, malic acid is FDA approved, non-toxic and safe for human consumption due to which it is used in formulation of various drugs such as vitamin A, essential oils, and other chemicals in the pharmaceutical industry. In response to this, growing consumers demand for various cosmetics and skin care products have also boosted the growth of malic acid during the forecast period. The CXOs further added that sustained economic growth and the development of the cosmetics and food processing in sector have surged the popularity of malic acid.

Author Name(s) : Akshata Mahantesh dhange | Eswara Prasad

Related Tags

• Acids
• Organic Chemicals
• Pharmaceutical Chemicals